The results of Zagat’s 2014 Los Angeles Restaurants Survey are now available on zagat.com and in local bookstores. Sushi tops the Food list for the fifth year running, as Asanebo unseats last year’s winner, Urasawa, for the No. 1 spot. Other Japanese notables in the Top Food category include Sushi Zo (No. 2), Hamasaku (No. 3) and Matsuhisa (No. 5). Meanwhile, the fast-growing Sugarfish empire from Sushi Nozawa chef-master Kazunori Nozawa is LA’s Most Popular restaurant. Top Decor and Service awards go to The Belvedere in the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel and Santa Monica’s Mélisse, respectively.

On average, Los Angeles surveyors report eating 2.4 dinners out per week, spending an average of $38.62 per person, just under the national average of $40.53. Additional stats from the survey reveal that noise is the No. 1 dining irritant, with 76% of diners saying they avoid restaurants that are too loud.

Zagat.com and Google Maps feature 115 curated lists of Los Angeles restaurants designed to help users find the perfect place to dine. Brand-new lists in LA this year include "Tops by Occasion" across a variety of scenarios, from “Anniversaries” to “Group Dinners” to “Lunch with your Agent,” and location-specific lists around local landmarks like “LA Live,” “Gallery Row” and the “Hollywood Walk of Fame.” All of this year’s ratings and reviews are available on zagat.com, the Zagat app for Android and iPhone, and in guides available at local bookstores.

The results of Zagat’s 2014 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants Survey are now live on zagat.com and in local bookstores. The Survey covers 1,495 restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Wine Country, Silicon Valley and the Monterey Peninsula, as voted on by 17,505 avid diners.

One of the big stories this year is Alice Waters’ historic Chez Panisse, which reopened in June after suffering fire damage in March. But, as Chez Panisse (and its casual upstairs sibling, Chez Panisse Café) continues its fourth decade leading the locavore movement, a new crop of organic, sustainable and locally inspired Mexican restaurants has opened on both sides of the Bay, including El Gusano, Nido and Padrecito.

Looking for hot newcomers across the area? The Mission continues to sizzle with arrivals, including Trick Dog and 20 Spot, while the growing scene in NoPa (North of the Panhandle) welcomed The Mill and Wine Kitchen this year. Elsewhere, top chefs Charles Phan and Michael Chiarello have debuted Hard Water and Coqueta, respectively, and diners have welcomed first-time brick-and-mortar locations of food truck and pop-up restaurants such as Hillside Supper Club, Kronnerburger and B. Patisserie.

Perennial favorite Gary Danko (which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year) won big with surveyors, topping the Food, Service and Popularity lists for the fifth consecutive year, while the “extraordinary architecture” and “best views” at Sierra Mar, located in Big Sur, won for Top Decor.

According to our recent Dining Trends Survey, San Francisco surveyors revealed that they typically eat out 2.0 lunches and 2.2 dinners per week, for a combined average of 4.2 meals out per week, slightly less than the 4.4 national average, but local diners are spending more – $41.87 when eating at a restaurant for dinner, compared to the national average of $40.53.

Italian continues to be the favorite cuisine among San Francisco surveyors, earning 22% of the vote, but when asked which cuisine diners want to see more of in their local area, 15% answered French.

When it comes to making reservations, 68% of the San Francisco voters typically book tables online, well above the national average of 52%. At restaurants that don’t take reservations, 52% of participants say they will wait no more than 30 minutes, while 6% avoid these places altogether.

Looking for local suggestions? Check out our editors’ lists for best restaurants, now on zagat.com and Google Maps. Whether you’re grabbing a bite before the Giants game, planning brunch with friends or even taking a trip to Napa or Sonoma, our curated content will guide you toward exceptional experiences for any occasion.

To access all of this year’s ratings and reviews, check out zagat.com, download the Zagat app for Android and iPhone, or purchase the print guide, available at local bookstores.

The results of Zagat’s 2014 Boston Restaurants Survey are now live on zagat.com, covering 1,207 restaurants in the Greater Boston Area. Based on the collective opinions of 8,514 avid diners, the survey shows that the resilient dining scene has welcomed a healthy batch of newcomers while celebrating long-held local favorites.

According to the results of our Dining Trends Survey, Boston diners typically eat out 3.7 times per week (for lunch and dinner combined), and report spending an average of $44.19 per dinner. What irritates diners most? Noise – it tops the list with 23% of the vote, followed closely by service (21%) and prices (18%). However, one thing diners do not find irritating is taking pictures of their food and/or their companions – 83% of diners say its “ok in moderation” or “perfectly acceptable.” On the flip side, 60% find it “rude and inappropriate” to text, tweet, call or e-mail from the table.

In the wake of April’s Boston Marathon bombings, local restaurants have proven resilient and charitable, with many reopening for business and others making donations to aid recovery efforts or hosting charitable events. As the city looks forward to next year’s marathon, our editors have compiled a list of restaurants with a unique vantage point along the Marathon route, as well as more than 100 other Zagat lists, available through Google Maps, to help diners discover the city – everything from “Student Hangouts” and “Freedom Trail Restaurants” to restaurants for when you’re “Shopping in the Back Bay.”

To access all of this year’s ratings and reviews, check out zagat.com, download the Zagat app for Android and iPhone, or purchase the print guide, available at local bookstores.

On average, London surveyors report eating out 3.7 meals per week – 1.7 times per week for lunch and 2.0 times for dinner. Italian cuisine is favoured according to 23% of surveyors, followed by Japanese (17%) and last year’s runner up, French (14%). In fact, 18% of London diners declare that they they would prefer to see even more Japanese restaurants popping up in the near future, supporting Japanese’s rise in the ranks this year from third to second favourite cuisine.

Additional trends from the survey reveal that service is the No. 1 dining irritant (30%), with the main service complaints relating to slow service, inattentive and rude staff. Diners’ second largest irritant was prices (24%), with surveyors reportedly spending an average of £37.35 per person for dinner out in London.

Zagat.com features more than 100 lists of London restaurants, compiled by our local editors, and is designed to help users find the perfect place to dine. Brand-new lists in London this year include "Tops by Occasion" across a variety of categories, from "Curing a Hangover" to "Dinner with Your Parents", and holiday-specific lists like "New Year's Eve". All of this year’s ratings and reviews are available on zagat.com, the Zagat app for Android and iPhone, and in guides available at local bookstores.

The Zagat 2014 Chicago Restaurants Survey results are in! With a surprising upset in the Top Food category, Japanese favorite Katsu took the top spot, followed by Paul Virant’s Vie. Grant Achatz’s Next not only won for Service, but also came in third for Food, followed by older sibling Alinea, which slipped from the number one spot to fourth place. Shanghai Terrace at the Peninsula Hotel won for Top Decor. The survey is based on the opinions of 7,634 avid diners who collectively rated and reviewed 1,147 Chicago restaurants.

This year’s survey reveals that Chicago diners strike a balance between old and new habits, embracing mobile technology while respecting the basics of dining etiquette. Whereas only 16% of diners nationwide make reservations online using smartphones, 20% of tech-savvy Chicagoans do so. However, once in a restaurant, 57% of Chicagoans feel “it’s rude and inappropriate” for those mobile devices to be used for texting, tweeting or talking at the table, up from 52% in 2012.

Zagat.com features more than 100 lists of Chicago restaurants, compiled by our local editors, and is designed to help users find the perfect place to dine. Brand-new lists for Chicago this year include “Best Buys” across a variety of categories, “Craft Beer” and “Craft Cocktails,” satisfying diners’ demand for artisanal drinks, as well as “Chicago Icons” featuring restaurants that have achieved a remarkable longevity.